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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29666781">tell me nothing lasts</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/rosegoldblood/pseuds/rosegoldblood'>rosegoldblood</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Character Study, God Complex, Love/Hate, M/M, Narcissism, Reincarnation, Trust Issues, Unreliable Narrator</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 23:22:08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>10,057</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29666781</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/rosegoldblood/pseuds/rosegoldblood</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>after a while, it got boring.</p><p>watching the same things happen over and over again. sometimes there'd be slight changes - someone he'd never met before, another factor added into the mix, a variation in what was otherwise straight-lace and repetitive.</p><p>none of those things were enough to entertain dream. not anymore. he'd see a new face and think, another person to forget. another person to lose. he wouldn't grow attached, because those ties would sever anyhow. when you lose so many things you start to hate having them.</p><p>when you lose so many people, you start to hate loving them.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Clay | Dream/GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>80</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>tell me nothing lasts</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>if it isn't obvious, the timeline of events is a little switched up here - mainly, that george's dethronement takes place before tommy's exile drama. also, dream, if you're reading this... dm me to recruit me for smp writing 😎 /j</p><p>read my <a href="https://rosegoldblood.carrd.co">carrd</a> for my socials and info about me.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>after a while, it got boring.</p><p> </p><p>watching the same things happen over and over again. sometimes there'd be slight changes - someone he'd never met before, another factor added into the mix, a variation in what was otherwise straight-lace and repetitive.</p><p> </p><p>none of those things were enough to entertain dream. not anymore. he'd see a new face and think, <em>another person to forget. another person to lose. </em>he wouldn't grow attached, because those ties would sever anyhow. when you lose so many things you start to hate having them.</p><p> </p><p>when you lose so many people, you start to hate loving them.</p><p> </p><p>it always ended the same, anyhow. rubble. fire. corpses scattered across the ground, swords bent and melting in the heat. after a while, that got boring too. dream wanted a happy ending. not because of the happiness - it would just be a nice change of pace.</p><p> </p><p>but he never got that. if one thing stayed the same, it was always how it ended. no matter what he did, no matter what he said; he was powerless. a record player stuck on repeat. a video game where your actions didn't matter, and there was only one ending. the bad one.</p><p> </p><p>that didn't mean he was going to stop trying, didn't mean he was going to stop steering it all into a good ending. he'd get his happily ever after, because what else was there to do?</p><p> </p><p>he was fine, too, playing the villain. after living over and over again, watching worlds pass by like minutes in time, being the villain in just one was barely anything. but the more he tried, the worse it got - always the monster, always the bad guy. even though he was trying to save them.</p><p> </p><p>he never told them, of course. he couldn't. didn't want his curse on anyone else's shoulders. but sometimes, he wished he could... <em>talk</em> to someone. anyone. tell them - explain to them - that he didn't mean to be the villain. he just wanted things to be different.</p><p> </p><p>it was all fine, though. in the eyes of the universe, he was the hero. </p><p> </p><p>wasn't he?</p><p> </p><p>everything was the same. everything repeated over and over again and every time dream tried to stop it they called him a monster. he was alone. he always had been.</p><p> </p><p>until george.</p><p> </p><p>✦</p><p> </p><p>"can i ask you something?"</p><p> </p><p>dream crossed his arms behind his head and smiled. he'd let george ask him anything, if he wanted. it had been so long since anyone had asked him anything - at least, anything about himself - and it was such a good feeling.</p><p> </p><p>someone wanted to know. someone liked him.</p><p> </p><p>"shoot," is all he said.</p><p> </p><p>"what..." george licked his lips and tangled his fingers together, fidgeting with them like he did whenever he was confused or nervous. his dark hair was splayed out across the grass, and moonlight shone across his face. "what do you want?"</p><p> </p><p>he bit his lip. "going to have to be a bit more specific, georgie."</p><p> </p><p>george sat up and sighed, like he was thinking. dream's smile faded a little - his expression looked way too serious. he didn't want to lose anyone else. "i mean... all this. with l'manberg. what's the point? it doesn't seem like you're getting much out of it."</p><p> </p><p><em>not yet, </em>dream told himself, sitting up as well, looking up at the sky. the moon was pale and bright and big, and it reminded him of how insignificant he was. <em>don't tell him yet. he doesn't want to know, and you don't want him to know.</em></p><p> </p><p>he didn't, did he? it would just cause trouble. and yet something tugged at his heartstrings, urging him to speak.</p><p> </p><p>"well, i just..." he rubbed at his eyes. "they attacked me first, didn't they? over those stupid discs. i'm knee-deep in all of this now." dream crooked his fingers and sighed as lies tumbled out of his mouth like they always did. "no way i'm backing out. they see me as a villain, so i'll be one."</p><p> </p><p>"is that really it?" george asked, and dream almost froze up, could feel his muscles tense. "you're just... winning for the sake of winning?"</p><p> </p><p>trying to shift the focus off of himself, dream grinned and wrapped his arm around george's shoulder. "so you admit that i'm winning?" he said, wiggling his eyebrows. george rolled his eyes exasperatedly.</p><p> </p><p>"i'm on your side, you idiot," he said, pushing dream away, though he wasn't as belligerent as about it as he usually was. dream thought there was a faint red colour in george's cheeks. "of course i think we're winning. you're dumb."</p><p> </p><p>instead of replying dream just laughed at the way george's cheeks puffed out, like a hamster's. maybe dream wouldn't go out of his way to annoy george so much if he wasn't so cute when he was angry.</p><p> </p><p>"you love me," dream said, without thinking, heart dropping when george went rigid. a second later, george relaxed again, crossing his arms and sighing. "you do, don't deny it."</p><p> </p><p>"i do," george said, and dream should have considered that a victory, except the tone of his voice made him uneasy and nervous. he knew it wasn't a lie, but something about it was... wrong. off. more like resignation than any kind of admission. </p><p> </p><p>he looked up at dream, eyebrows furrowed. "and i know you're lying, too, dream. i know there's a reason you want this so bad." george gestured to the country of l'manberg, splayed out beneath them. "i'm going to find out what it is, dream. you know that, right?"</p><p> </p><p>"people have tried." dream's voice darkened, and he didn't care if he was being suspicious, or grim, or whatever. he just needed george to know. "people have tried to figure it out. to figure me out. they never could." his hand tightened in the grass. george rolled his eyes, like he was tired of dream, and that made him angry.</p><p> </p><p>that wasn't supposed to happen. george wasn't supposed to be annoyed, or tired - he was supposed to be afraid. dream wanted fear, and usually, he got it. and even if right now george didn't know what was coming to him - he would. even if he wasn't now, dream would make him afraid.</p><p> </p><p>"nothing good ever happened to any of them. and nothing good will happen to you, if you try. and george..." george wasn't looking at him anymore, into the distance like he was searching for something among the stars. "i don't want that. i want you to stay. but if you do this... you won't."</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>i'm so tired of losing people. why can't you just stay here and talk about anything else. why can't you let me love you like i want to love you. why can't you just live in ignorance.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>why do you have to know?</em>
</p><p> </p><p>"we'll see about that." </p><p> </p><p>✦</p><p> </p><p>"i can't believe it's all gone." george's voice was somehow lofty and pitiful at the same time, grass blowing beneath his feet as they stood on the edge of the cliff overlooking l'manberg. he looked pretty, even now, and dream had the urge to push him off.</p><p> </p><p>it'd be one less person to care about, at least. one less person to love. was it easier to lose someone when it was your fault, or someone else's? and what made the difference when the outcome was the same?</p><p> </p><p>maybe it was all in the intention. after all, that's what mattered the most in anything. the intention to kill, to maim, to love, to protect... <em>it's the thought that counts</em>, dream thought to himself, <em>that's something that people say, right? </em></p><p> </p><p>he shook his head, trying to clear his mind. it was all nonsense, anyway. if it was the intention that mattered the most, he wouldn't be the bad guy.</p><p> </p><p>"isn't it great?" dream asked, letting the wind blow through his dirty blond hair. he closed his eyes, opening them just for a second to gauge george's reaction. a straight face and blank eyes, as usual. george always looked like he didn't know what was going on.</p><p> </p><p>that was true, in a way. everyone in l'manberg knew, too, with the way he'd shown up to a dozen withers and a blown-up nation with wide eyes and a slightly surprised tone. "what's going on?" he'd asked, like it wasn't obvious.</p><p> </p><p>but there was something deeper than that. in some ways, george knew more than even dream did. he never talked about it, or said anything outright that proved it - but dream could see it in his eyes, in the way he regarded all of this. like he understood things dream couldn't understand.</p><p> </p><p>it made dream angry, and jealous, but also... he admired george. he wasn't a hero, but he wasn't a villain either. someone looking from above and outside, who talked with the others like they all did, yet seemed to be on a different plane entirely. an outsider. a god.</p><p> </p><p>all things considered, that was supposed to be dream. that should've been dream. maybe that's why he loved george so much - to try to grasp things he couldn't attain. the ability to be above it all, instead of in the trenches with it.</p><p> </p><p>and george never got involved. maybe that's how he knew things he didn't. how he saw the bigger picture.</p><p> </p><p>"you'd think that, wouldn't you," george was saying, and dream sighed. "this is what you wanted from the very beginning. that's why you helped wilbur destroy his own nation. why you made techno and the others turn against each other, right?"</p><p> </p><p>"that second part wasn't me. they turned on techno on their own." dream didn't say anything about the first accusation. "humans were meant to betray each other, you know? it's inevitable. when everyone's so different."</p><p> </p><p>for a moment, they were both silent. george sighed like even talking to dream was a pain, but he stayed anyway. </p><p> </p><p>"so that's what you think," he said, "is this foreshadowing? are you going to betray me?" it sounded like a joke, his lips upturned slightly at the corners, but his voice was tired. dream turned to george, placing his hand on his shoulder, half-expecting george to shrug him off. he didn't.</p><p> </p><p>"you know when i say <em>humans </em>i never mean me," dream reassured him, and george managed an amused laugh. "or you, for that matter. i know you don't get involved much, but... well, you and i - we're above it all, you know? we know better."</p><p> </p><p>"i know i do," george said cockily, and dream couldn't help but laugh, too, "yeah, i know i'm above it all. i don't like getting involved in stuff like this. but you, dream... are you sure you are?" dream looked away, squeezing george's shoulder tighter.</p><p> </p><p>he shrugged. "of course i am. i know more than they all do."</p><p> </p><p>"knowledge doesn't make you a god, dream. knowledge doesn't mean you're right." george's fingers twitched and he sighed again. "that doesn't make sense, does it. eh, i've never been really poetic."</p><p> </p><p>"i like that about you."</p><p> </p><p>george laughed again, crossing his arms. "i'm flattered," was all he said. more silence. dream wanted to reach around and pull george closer to him, wrap his arms around him and never let go, but he wasn't sure if george would appreciate that.</p><p> </p><p>it really was all gone. the once sprawling nation, filled with life and love, was nothing but a wasteland. a few trees stood tall, able to withstand the onslaught of explosions, but dream had a feeling they'd be gone by tomorrow. then there'd really be nothing left.</p><p> </p><p>another chapter closed just like he wanted it to. after all, death brought life - and sadness, misery, brought happiness down the line. then they'd all thank dream. he'd be the hero for once. hopefully.</p><p> </p><p>or maybe this would be just another one of his failures. a world gone to waste because of him.</p><p> </p><p>"you're still not going to tell me, are you?" george's voice was soft, and he stepped closer to dream, whose arm tensed up around george's shoulder. "why you're doing all this. winning just to win - that's not like you, dream. you're not that petty, i don't buy it."</p><p> </p><p>something dark glinted in his eyes as dream opened his mouth to speak. "yeah, well..." he was at a loss for words, the conflict starting up in his head again. god, he wanted to tell george so bad it was insane, but - it'd only bring pain. for both of them.</p><p> </p><p>and dream couldn't give less of a shit about himself, but he'd be damned if he ever brought george pain himself.</p><p> </p><p>"at least it's all gone now," dream said, and he wasn't sure whether he and george had the same perspective of things. reasonably he knew they didn't, but george could be so knowledgeable sometimes - surely he knew that this was a good thing? "you understand, right?"</p><p> </p><p>"not even a little bit," george shot back, not ever one to mince words. dream sighed, turning away as well, hand slipping off george's shoulder. he'd gotten his hopes up again. "dream, i'm never going to understand if you don't tell me."</p><p> </p><p>he bit his lip and for once in his life, told the truth. "it just hurts too much to tell you," he admitted, and even saying that felt like torture to get out, "why can't you just figure it out on your own?"</p><p> </p><p>george was silent. "don't tell me you're that selfish, dream," he murmured, brushing his fingers through his hair. it was getting long now, down to his neck, and it reminded dream of how much time had passed since it had all started. and through it all - though he changed - george had always been there.</p><p> </p><p>when dream leaned over to tangle his own fingers in george's dark brown hair, george let him. </p><p> </p><p>yeah. george had always been here - next to dream - and even though he acted like he was annoyed and exhausted by him he'd stay. dream was sure of it. george had always been there, and he always would be.</p><p> </p><p>dream wasn't so sure what he'd do if he was wrong.</p><p> </p><p>✦</p><p> </p><p>"you're going to be a great king."</p><p> </p><p>"thanks," george said, all too polite, fingers scratching against the gold of his new throne. the crown sat atop his head, and dream couldn't help but admire the way his dark hair curled around the shining band of it, colours contrasting.</p><p> </p><p>even if george wasn't a good king, he sure looked pretty as one.</p><p> </p><p>they sat in comfortable silence for a while - george staring down at the ground, as if thinking about something, and dream, leaning against the throne, staring up at george with lovesick eyes. he'd never looked at anyone like that before - not in any lifetime. not in any reality.</p><p> </p><p>and he'd been through a lot of realities. </p><p> </p><p>"i don't understand you," george said, out of the blue. he propped his right foot up on his left knee, then the other way around, as if he couldn't decide how to sit out of nervousness. dream waited for him to continue, but he didn't. his mouth stayed shut.</p><p> </p><p>that was george. always so ominous and vague. it was infuriating sometimes, but dream knew he was like that, too - though he was more like that on purpose, and george - well, dream had a hard time understanding him in general. he couldn't see <em>why </em>george would bother concealing his feelings.</p><p> </p><p>seeing as he was recently crowned king, he had a reason <em>now</em>. but before that, there was no reason. no reason that dream knew, anyway, or bothered to understand. he didn't need to understand george to love him, right? that was an easier way of thinking.</p><p> </p><p>loving george came easy, effortless. why would dream bother to do any more than that when it already came as natural as breathing? wasn't that proof enough?</p><p> </p><p>"yeah, no one understands me," dream joked, and george smiled. dream felt his heart skip a beat, and he rolled his eyes at himself. acting like some lovestruck teenager instead of the most powerful person in the world. "what's your point?"</p><p> </p><p>"why'd you make me king?" george asked, tucking a strand of loose hair behind his ear. he was blushing, and dream wanted to lean over and press his lips against his red cheeks, but he resisted. after all, they had roles to play. dream, the knight. george, the king.</p><p> </p><p>reasonably dream knew that was all wrong. he was more powerful than george would ever be, and the thought of serving george almost made him laugh. but they were just that: roles to play. masks to put on. for a while, he could pretend that he had no responsibilities. no universal obligation to do all he could to change things.</p><p> </p><p>he was just... dream. a knight who loved his king more than anything.</p><p> </p><p>and it wasn't so hard to pretend he was that. it was already half-true, anyway.</p><p> </p><p>"you're neutral, you know?" dream said, looking to the stained glass ceiling, murals of myths and legends put together. he wondered what made a legend: how well do you have to be known? how many people have to love you?</p><p> </p><p>maybe it was thousands, but as long as george loved him, that felt like enough. as long as he stayed - with that snarky attitude and his vague words and his tendency to not ever get involved in anything unless he was dragged into it - he'd make dream feel like a story's hero. he'd make dream feel like a god.</p><p> </p><p>at that point, wasn't he basically one already?</p><p> </p><p>"a king has to be neutral. has to rule over his people with fairness. no biases, no discrimination. the people are just people to them, not anyone close." dream looked back to george. "and you're like that, so i can trust you as a ruler. you're not close to anyone." he hesitated. "except me, of course."</p><p> </p><p>george laughed, fingers skimming past his bottom lip gently. "so what you're saying is... i need to be impartial, fair, and that there are standards that need to be met to be a king, but you're an exception to all of those things?"</p><p> </p><p>dream didn't hesitate this time. "yep."</p><p> </p><p>at this, george bit his lip, exhaling a laugh like he didn't exactly know how to respond. "has anyone... has anyone ever told you that you're the most self-centred person ever?" it didn't sound like an insult, more like he was amused. "because you are. you're the most self-centred, arrogant person i've ever met."</p><p> </p><p>"way to flatter a guy." though george did sound amused, it didn't sound like a joke, either. some mix between the two. a truth that didn't take itself seriously, but a truth all the same. "you knew what you were getting into when you met me."</p><p> </p><p>"did i, dream?" george tilted his head, crossing his legs in a way that dream was sure was inappropriate for a king on his throne, but who was dream to question who he served? george was king now. he could do as he liked... as long as dream approved of it, of course. well, he doubted there was anything george wanted to do that he disapproved of. "did i really?"</p><p> </p><p>"i suppose only you know that," dream said, leaning back against the arm of the throne, "but it's not hard to gauge what kind of person i am." <em>arrogant. controlling. monstrous. </em>"you stayed anyway."</p><p> </p><p>a low hum came from george's throat, and he smiled affectionately. it looked nice on him. dream wished that smile could stay on his face forever. "that one's true for sure. else i wouldn't be here, yeah?"</p><p> </p><p>"who knows," dream laughed with a shrug, "maybe you're only with me for the power, y'know?"</p><p> </p><p>"no power in the world is worth putting up with you," george retorted, but his voice was still light, though his words were harsh, "...so that's how you know i'm with you because i like you. not because i gain anything from it... or whatever."</p><p> </p><p>george was blushing again, and dream cooed. "aww, georgie!" he leapt up to wrap his arms around george, trying to conceal the tears in his own eyes. someone liked him... someone saw him for who he was. someone who wanted to help... someone who wanted to change things. someone who loved just as anyone else did.</p><p> </p><p>he laughed when george made a twisted, disgusted sound and pushed dream off of him, though the blush was still prominent on his cheeks. "don't push it," he said, before laughing, "yeah, i'm staying, dream. there's a lot more to you than i know, and it's interesting. you're like a puzzle."</p><p> </p><p>"how intellectual of you."</p><p> </p><p>"oh, shut up," george huffed, "in fact... if i ever do leave you, i think it'd be because you'd want me to leave."</p><p> </p><p>dream's eyebrows shot up at the somber change of mood. words bubbled up in his mind and in the back of his throat, but he couldn't force any of them out. leave... him? why did george say that like it was a possibility - and a likely one?</p><p> </p><p>just the implication of him wanting george to leave made him sick to his stomach. george was the only person he had left - he was the only person dream had ever had to lose, really. there was sapnap, dedicated to him as ever, but did dream love him as much as he loved george? was he as devoted?</p><p> </p><p><em>you don't love george, </em>fundy had told him once, <em>you love the opportunities and excuses he gives you.</em></p><p> </p><p>at the time, dream had waved it off as fundy being overdramatic as poetic, but. but. </p><p> </p><p>no, that was ridiculous. of course he loved george. he'd do anything for george - kill for him, conquer countries and nations for him, raze them down and build them from the ground up if george wanted. and he'd been working day and night, manipulating everyone left and right, to destroy l'manberg, but if george wanted the nation sprawling again then who was dream to refuse?</p><p> </p><p>when dream finally worked up the courage to ask george what the hell he meant, the latter already across the room and gesturing to dream excitedly, asking that they go to his mushroom cottage. dream smiled and let the warmth of george's hand to wash his worries away.</p><p> </p><p>he was the good guy. he was the hero.</p><p> </p><p>and if the only time george would ever leave is if dream wanted him to leave, then dream didn't have to worry about a single thing. </p><p> </p><p>✦</p><p> </p><p>"well, listen, the only reason i'm saying george should step down as king is because - is because i <em>care</em> about him."</p><p> </p><p>george's fingers skimmed against dream's arm, and despite the serious atmosphere, dream couldn't help the shock that went through him at the touch. what had he become? crumbling at the touch of one person, reduced to a mess at skin on skin?</p><p> </p><p>there were too many feelings raging inside him, and he wasn't used to it. dream knew what he wanted - knew what he had to do. always. in every world, in every universe. he had a plan, and he never bowed to anyone. before george, it would have been laughable.</p><p> </p><p>this needed to stop. letting someone make him so vulnerable - and in a position of power, no less - it wasn't good. it messed up his aim, his vision, his goal. he needed to shoot straight for change. he couldn't falter. he couldn't hesitate.</p><p> </p><p>or else... or else.</p><p> </p><p>"i've been..." george's fingers twitched again as dream wrapped another layer of bandage around his palm, covering the red slashed across it. droplets of blood were on the floor and stained dream's pants. "i've been the best king this place has ever had. could ever have."</p><p> </p><p>it was an arrogant statement, but george was like that. he was nowhere near as smug as dream was, but he didn't think twice praising himself, either. in the back of his mind dream thought about how endearing it was, but he shook his mind clear.</p><p> </p><p>"and - and i agree! i agree." dream could feel everyone's eyes on him. sapnap's, bad's, eret's. even quackity's, though the man himself was trying desperately to hide and failing. "but you're not safe as king. you keep getting attacked and i don't want that."</p><p> </p><p>despite his reassurances, george refused to look at dream. sapnap stood by george's side, shields up, brows furrowed, and dream remembered when sapnap used to stand at <em>his </em>side like that. he wondered where he'd gone wrong.</p><p> </p><p>"look at it this way. you want revenge on tommy, right?" george didn't respond, but dream took his slight nod as confirmation. "as a king, you can't do that. but if you're not, you're free to do whatever you want. get revenge on whoever you want. we can work together."</p><p> </p><p>when dream took george's hand, it was cold, with none of its usual warmth. he could see george tensing up just slightly as dream finished wrapping the bandage around his arm. he'd gotten several scars from his fight with techno (if it could be even called a fight rather than a one-sided beatdown), but thankfully they were all rather shallow. george had been lucky.</p><p> </p><p>and dream was afraid he wouldn't be as lucky next time. </p><p> </p><p>he needed a neutral king. one that didn't do anything, that didn't take sides. that would make it much easier to do things without interference. if george went along and did all that stuff to tommy as a king - they'd blame dream. blame him for choosing a king who fought instead of sat on the throne and looked pretty.</p><p> </p><p>ironic, since george's expertise seemed to be doing just that. up until dream really needed it.</p><p> </p><p>"sounds like you're sugarcoating it," george murmured, and dream squeezed george's hand, hopefully in a way that was comforting. judging by george's dull expression, he'd failed. </p><p> </p><p>"okay, listen. eret?" dream stood up, george's hand sliding out of his. george's white-rimmed glasses, usually in his hair, were over his eyes now, shadowed lenses covering half of his face. for a moment dream felt guilty before he reminded himself he wasn't supposed to feel at all. "we've had our disagreements, but your actions have shown that you're loyal, and caring. i want to reappoint you as king."</p><p> </p><p>this was inevitably what everything had been leading up to, but it seemed to be a shock to the others. no matter. they'd never been really smart - not as much as dream, anyway. quackity finally revealed himself, mouth hanging open as puffy and bad gasped. punz stood solemnly to the side, but even he looked concerned.</p><p> </p><p>eret himself smiled serenely, calm and as hard to read as ever. his black glasses blocked his eyes as they always did, and he stuck his hand out. "of course. i would be honoured to accept..." for just a second his eyes trailed to george, before snapping back to dream. "and to reclaim my place as king."</p><p> </p><p>everything was silent for a long, tense moment. when dream dared to look around, it seemed that everyone was confused on how to feel. george's lips were pressed together, and sapnap stood staunchly at his side. puffy, bad, and quackity stood behind george as well, almost like an ensemble.</p><p> </p><p>then, without another word, george turned and made his way down the steps.</p><p> </p><p>people clamoured to follow him. dream doubted they really cared, but puffy and bad did a great job acting like they did. "he's not sad," dream tried to say as he followed along, even as george's shoulders shook, "he's just - acting sad."</p><p> </p><p>puffy placed her hand on george's shoulder as they walked. "hey, come on. eat some food, wipe your tears," she said, gently, as motherly as ever. george didn't respond, but he did rub at his eyes and accept the rations offered to him. </p><p> </p><p>dream felt a tinge of annoyance at puffy's affection, and george's ginger acceptance of it. it was different from the affection he and george had, but it still gnawed at dream's stomach, his need for control - was george replacing him now? out of something like this?</p><p> </p><p>"he's not sad," dream repeated as bad and puffy tried to comfort him, quackity and sapnap spouting nonsense about how george would be king again. what bullshit. "he's being dramatic - it's all just theatrics."</p><p> </p><p>"aww, but look, dream! he's crying!" puffy said, sounding genuinely distressed as she gestured to george. dream snorted, thinking she was exaggerating, but when he leaned forward he realised george's eyes were indeed welling up again. he wiped them away, as if afraid to be caught.</p><p> </p><p>"it's fine, it's fine," dream said, skipping a few steps to catch up with george, waving his hand around. there was urgency in his voice, eager to have time alone with george - to talk to him and really explain why he'd done this. then george would forgive him, right?</p><p> </p><p>not that he'd done anything wrong at all... </p><p> </p><p>after an irritating long time, bad finally left. eret had retreated back to his castle at some point, most likely to bask in the glory he had been given yet again. quackity had left, too, and the only people left were puffy and sapnap - puffy so committed to her motherly persona, sapnap so committed to george himself.</p><p> </p><p>he wondered why sapnap was acting like this. did he think he could replace dream, somehow? be devoted to george as dream had been? that was ridiculous. he could never do for george what dream could do for him - what dream could have done for him. if ever george had asked.</p><p> </p><p>"george, can we talk?" surprisingly, george crossed his arms and nodded. dream waited for the other two to leave, but when they didn't, he added, "alone, i mean." fighting to keep the annoyance out of his voice.</p><p> </p><p>though she still looked worried, puffy raised her arms and backed off. "just say the word, george," sapnap was saying, and dream rolled his eyes, though he stayed vigilant of the sword in sapnap's hand and the shield strapped to his other arm.</p><p> </p><p>to his relief (fighting would have been such a pain, even if he obliterated sapnap) (which he would have), george just shook his head and waved him away. "thanks," he said hoarsely, and sapnap glared at dream before retreating into the woods, white headband fluttering in the wind. </p><p> </p><p>"george -"</p><p> </p><p>"no," george interrupted, and dream stepped back in surprise, "i know you're going to make a ton of excuses and reason with me on how you had to do it, but i'm not listening. not anymore. you gave me power and you took it away, and that's the end of it."</p><p> </p><p>unsure of what to say, dream zeroed in on the last part of george's sentence. "well, the lord giveth and the lord taketh away," he quoted, feeling queasy, before he shook himself out of his stupor. george laughed, leaning against a tree.</p><p> </p><p>"you <em>have </em>always had a god complex," george said, voice amused. it reminded dream of how he sounded on at throne, teasing dream for his arrogance... that was so long ago. that's what it felt like, at least. "so? what do you want to say?"</p><p> </p><p>"it was for you." george's eyes snapped to dream, and with shaky hands he reached to the back of his head and unclasped his mask, letting george see his face properly. it wasn't the first time george had seen his face, but every time was special to dream. "and - and i'm not going to change my mind. i'll do it again if it means keeping you safe. and i'll bear with it if you're angry. but... i don't want you to be."</p><p> </p><p>"all i wanted to do was keep you safe," dream continued, and george's face was hard to read as he stared at the grass. "and you are now, right? so it's all good." he smiled, trying to get george to look at him. "didn't i say? i'd do anything for you. to keep you safe."</p><p> </p><p>george squeezed his eyes shut before opening them again, looking dream dead into his own eyes. "just say it." his voice was soft, and there was a smile on his face, but it was nowhere near genuine. "just say you hate me."</p><p> </p><p>"what?" dream took another step back as george barked out a laugh. "no - no. you don't understand. i'm doing this for you! for your safety! because i want -" <em>because i want you. </em>"because i want you to be safe."</p><p> </p><p>another laugh from george, pushing himself off the tree he was leaning on and looking up at dream, arms crossed. dark hair swept across his forehead, neat and straight as always, freckles scattered across his cheeks and the bridge of his nose. he looked pretty, in the sunlight, even when he was disappointed.</p><p> </p><p>dream tried to reach out for him, but george pushed him away.</p><p> </p><p>"you can't expect people to trust you when you don't even trust them," george said, and it was like a blow to dream's chest. he'd been through several wars, countless battles - and yet it seemed like the aching in his heart hurt more than any scar ever did.</p><p> </p><p>if this was what love felt like, then it was a relief he'd never felt it before. and it was a damn shame he was feeling it now.</p><p> </p><p>"didn't i tell you, dream?" george said, turning on his heel, "the only reason i would ever leave... is if you wanted me to."</p><p> </p><p>✦</p><p> </p><p>"it's... destroyed."</p><p> </p><p>dream, george, quackity, and karl stood in front of the wreckage of his house. once cute, quaint, and cozy, the front was now utterly destroyed and littered with signs. crying obsidian had somehow been stacked into the inside, making it hard to move around.</p><p> </p><p>"wh - what the hell?" george asked, moving to tear the signs off. they said various insulting things - about his glasses, about his name, some of them just cuss words. one even said <em>stop sleeping, </em>which dream admitted had a point. george seemed especially upset, though. "what the<em> hell?</em>"</p><p> </p><p>"tommy and ranboo did this," quackity said, and dream's eyes snapped to him. despite his silly nature, he seemed dead serious at the moment, focusing on george, fussing with his mushroom cottage. "i know it. i saw it with my own eyes."</p><p> </p><p>this raced through dream's mind, and in the back of his mind he recalled all the obsidian he had. tommy, the vice president. dream had thought he'd realised how to be responsible, how to not cause chaos any longer, but apparently he was still the careless young boy he had been.</p><p> </p><p>of course. of course he was. tommy never learned, and he never would, would he?</p><p> </p><p>he was like a wild dog, running all over the place and causing trouble. dream would've liked to say that tommy was all bark and no bite, but the truth was, tommy followed through with his words. perhaps that was his biggest flaw - tommy was as aggressive as he was loud. like a wild dog that needed to be put down.</p><p> </p><p>well, dream had been attempting to put that kid down for years now, and he'd somehow managed to fail every time. so for now, he'd bide his time. not everything had to be straightforward, after all.</p><p> </p><p>some things were, though. and it was the fact that tommy had burned down george's cottage, somehow dragging that enderman boy into it, and now he was going to pay. the whole of l'manberg would pay.</p><p> </p><p>snapping himself out of his thoughts, dream turned on his heel and left. he heard karl yell something, and george's disdainful gaze on his back. dream resisted the urge to look back, forging on ahead. they hadn't talked since the dethroning incident - followed by a troublesome but amusingly brief rebellion - and george still hadn't forgiven him.</p><p> </p><p>how annoying. and yet... how interesting. dream would have thought that george would come running back, if not for dream himself, for his power. it was obvious to see george didn't care for dream as much as dream cared for him, but it was only logical to make peace with the most dangerous person on the server.</p><p> </p><p>but he never did. no matter how much dream waited, he never did. it was curious, to say the least. dream wanted to crack him open and figure him out, put him together like a puzzle and solve whatever mystery lurked within george. the only person he could never understand.</p><p> </p><p>"what are you doing?" quackity was asking, and dream stared down at him impassively as they made their way to l'manberg. he was almost in a daze - there was obsidian in his hand, cold and smooth, and somehow through he fog he knew what he had to do. what he was going to do, right now.</p><p> </p><p>quackity was still shouting at him. dream told him to go away, and the next second, he was gone.  to tell karl and george, dream supposed. <em>good, </em>he thought, <em>let them know.</em></p><p> </p><p>let george know what dream was doing for him. how far he would go... and all for him.</p><p> </p><p>dream remembered when handling obsidian was difficult for him, when he was still new to the world, hadn't been trapped and enslaved yet by the vicious cycle of blood and death and endless miserable endings. the purple-black stone heavy in his hands, hard to stack on top of each other as he grew tired with every block.</p><p> </p><p>now he could stack them up like it was nothing, hands somehow both worn down and brand new at once. his body renewed itself over and over and over again, but the memories never left. neither did the experience. dream almost wished it did - it would be less painful that way.</p><p> </p><p>voices reached his ears, hushed whispers as they started to talk among themselves. "what is he doing?" he heard puffy ask, and he ignored her, continuing to stack block after block of obsidian, melding the stone together. "is - is he doing this to protect us?"</p><p> </p><p>he almost laughed at the thought.</p><p> </p><p>"dream!" niki shouted from afar, and dream could see her blonde hair flowing through the wind, sword at her side and a flint and steel clutched in her other hand. "are you building this wall to protect l'manberg?"</p><p> </p><p>this time he really did laugh, though he doubted niki heard. "no!" he shouted back, offering no further explanation. let them take it up with their dear, dear vice president - that'd show him. let them face the music, force them to admit that tommy was the same as he'd always been.</p><p> </p><p>reckless. stupid.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>destructive.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>they talked among themselves again, and dream grinned to himself behind his mask. the wall wasn't too tall yet, but that was no matter. he only had so much obsidian, after all, but he could always go back and get more. he had time. he could do this, and he would. for george.</p><p> </p><p>"is he trying to blow it up again?" puffy asked. "and like, contain the blast?"</p><p> </p><p>"no... i don't think - no..."</p><p> </p><p>it was almost a good idea - puffy certainly was smart, but he had nothing to gain from blowing up l'manberg. rather, he didn't have to. they would do that themselves - punish tommy, however they would have to, grow divided and start fighting until everything was reduced to rubble once more. fighting until they destroyed their own home.</p><p> </p><p>for a second, he stopped at the wooden path, before he pulled out his ax and chopped through the planks effortlessly. before niki and puffy could process what happened, there was obsidian in its place, and he went back to layering the stone, forcing them to watch.</p><p> </p><p>"are you cutting through the path?" puffy asked again, as if it weren't obvious, and dream rolled his eyes. there was humour in her voice, but also panic. "to - to party island? no! what - why, dream? why?" she turned to niki. "isn't this the prime path? wait - he's cutting off pokimane!"</p><p> </p><p><em>that's the thing you're worried about, </em>dream thought to himself. he was running out of obsidian, but at least the border had been established. marking their territory, showing them what was theirs. what was theirs to burn, and what was theirs to destroy.</p><p> </p><p>and what was <em>dream's.</em></p><p> </p><p>"should we call tubbo?" he heard niki ask, and dream smiled. it was all going according to plan. he wondered how their naive, righteous president would react to his ever-so-noble best friend being the cause of all this. would he shout, or would he stay calm like he always did?</p><p> </p><p>dream was doing this to break the cycle - to bring a happy ending - but he had to admit watching the looks on their faces was fun, too.</p><p> </p><p>he was out of obsidian.</p><p> </p><p>"well, i've run out of obsidian, but i'll be back another day!" dream declared, standing up on his wall, dusting off his netherite armour. he delighted at the familiar face of tubbo, looking up at him from below. "oh, hello, president. don't mind me - i'm just marking your territory."</p><p> </p><p>tubbo gestured to where the wall cut off the prime path, and through that stupid fox's house. "w - well you've marked it wrong."</p><p> </p><p>the mask hid his smile as he fiddled with the straps of his shield. dream thought about l'manberg - how much it had gone through. somewhat like a jar, dropped and shattered and smashed to pieces over and over again, and put back together as it withstood it all.</p><p> </p><p>and he thought about what was his, beyond the wall, beyond the borders, in that castle and in that little mushroom cottage. george, who was his and always had been, whether he liked it or not.</p><p> </p><p>"no," he responded, "no, i haven't."</p><p> </p><p>protests erupted in his face, puffy and niki as well as tubbo and fundy shouting and throwing accusations at him. accusing him of being unfair, who just wanted to wage war for no reason. if only they knew that was their very own vice president that did that, and dream wasn't the one to blame. for once.</p><p> </p><p>not that it mattered, of course. even if this was his fault, dream was in control. he held the power; their lives and their country in his hands. he could let them do as they pleased, or he could crush them in his palms. did it matter, in the end? would any of those options give him the ending he desired?</p><p> </p><p>either way, he was in control. and it felt<em> good.</em></p><p> </p><p>"dream," he heard a familiar voice say, and his smile grew even wider. he slid down his own wall, landing on the outskirts of the woods, and looked at george. george, who knew now that dream kept his promises. that when dream said he would do anything, he really would.</p><p> </p><p>there was nothing behind that. he'd never, not in his million lives or worlds or universes, loved anybody as much as he loved george. even when george had been angry at him - just the sunlit memories made him feel alright again.</p><p> </p><p>nobody made him feel as powerful as he did standing next to george. nobody made him feel like he could conquer the world as george did whenever <em>he </em>smiled.</p><p> </p><p>nobody made dream feel so much like a god as much as george did.</p><p> </p><p>"what are you <em>doing?</em>" his tone was angrier than dream had expected, but he was probably just surprised. "is this a wall? where did you even get this much obsidian? and - and <em>why?</em>"</p><p> </p><p>"for you!" he said, jumping up enthusiastically, and dream thought george could see the hearts in his eyes. "didn't i say, george? i'd do anything for you. and i've proven it, here." he waved his hand toward the obsidian wall. george's hand pulling at his lip, and dream caught it between his own. "i'm... sorry. so won't you forgive me already?"</p><p> </p><p>george stared at him for a long, long time, glasses ruffling his dark brown hair. it had grown out a bit during his time away, and his eyes were wide. dream had expected to see some kind of love or at least appreciation in them, but the only thing he could see was scorn and dismay.</p><p> </p><p>"...you don't get it, do you," he finally said, jerking dream's hands off his. "you really don't get it. i thought maybe you were playing dumb, keeping things close to your chest like you're always doing - but you for real don't understand." george laughed, broken and painful. "you don't love me, dream."</p><p> </p><p>silence reigned over them for a moment, before dream snapped back to what was happening. why was george angry? "what are you talking about? what more could you possibly want?" there was nothing but quiet and a thousand-yard stare from the other. "just say it. just say it, and i'll do it."</p><p> </p><p>"you think you did this for me?" george said, and he was looking past dream - behind him, to the wall, to the great obsidian stone that towered above l'manberg. "you think that this was some kind of gift? to get me to forgive you, huh?" he crossed his arms. "dream... you lie so much you've even fooled yourself, i think."</p><p> </p><p>"this isn't a lie, george," dream said. then, with the most amount of passion and emotion he could: "i <em>love</em> you. i do. this is why i did this for you!"</p><p> </p><p>"it wasn't for me!" george yelled in dream's face, and dream was almost worried the people of l'manberg could hear their screaming. "this wall - this whole thing - it was never for me, dream. you did this for yourself. for power. for control." he stepped back, pressing his palm to his forehead like he had a fever. his teeth were gritted. "to reach your damn goals that i can never figure out."</p><p> </p><p>despite everything, dream laughed. "heh... you and me both. i could never pick you apart, either." <em>and god, do i want to. </em>he wanted to tear george apart, both his mind and his body, commit everything to memory so he could finally understand who he was dealing with.</p><p> </p><p>who he was in love with.</p><p> </p><p>because he had to be.</p><p> </p><p>"yeah, well." george stood back. "i suppose i always knew. when you said i knew what i was getting into? i think i did. i wanted to believe that you'd open up. that eventually, you'd trust me enough to tell." he brushed his hair back and looked into the distance. "guess not."</p><p> </p><p>"i'm sorry," was all dream could bring himself to say, "i want to tell you. and maybe i will. someday." <em>when i finally work up the courage. i love you enough to do that, at least, if nothing else.</em></p><p> </p><p>more silence. dream wanted to say something - anything - but he feared that whatever he would say would make george angrier. that it wouldn't be enough. that <em>he </em>wasn't enough - that he never would be. </p><p> </p><p>"i'm leaving. i need to go rebuild my house," george said, and his voice was flat as he turned away. "you keep your wall. it'll be useful to you - give you control over them, probably. though... i suppose you already know that, yeah? since it's all you ever wanted?"</p><p> </p><p>george smiled at dream, full of pain and pity, before he walked away.</p><p> </p><p>✦</p><p> </p><p>"who knew it'd end like this." </p><p> </p><p>dream looked up.</p><p> </p><p>and there was george.</p><p> </p><p>there was light across his face, spilling over the floor, red and orange from the lava glowing in the dark. he looked... the same. he'd disappeared after the exile - to everyone, not just dream - but now, here he was. standing in front of him once again.</p><p> </p><p>he looked the same, really. slightly longer hair, but definitely not as long as dream or sapnap's. his classic blue shirt, with the red box in the middle, was a little torn at the seams, but it still fit george well. there was dirt across his face, but he still looked pretty. ethereal.</p><p> </p><p>"i mean, i don't think even you would've seen this coming, right?" george asked, gesturing to the lava and the obsidian surrounding him. "if you had, you probably would've weaseled your way out of it by now, smart as you are." he leaned against the obsidian walls and grinned. "or has the amazing dream finally found a trap he can't escape?"</p><p> </p><p>"don't be stupid," dream said, voice soft as he stood up. he probably looked like a mess. hair outgrown, spilling over his shoulders in choppy locks. in his first few attempts to escape, he'd gained burns on his arms and face, his orange jumpsuit torn at parts. "this is <em>my</em> prison."</p><p> </p><p>george made an exaggerated face, his mouth shaped into an <em>o, </em>faking pretty surprise. dream almost laughed. "oh, really? i hadn't noticed." he ran his fingers against the cool obsidian. "i suppose in the end the only person who could ever defeat you... is yourself."</p><p> </p><p>internally dream hoped that george wouldn't continue on this - because no matter how much time he spent in this stupid prison he would <em>never </em>resort to self-reflection (he'd done enough of that through his never-ending life). but of course, george never did what dream wanted him to do.</p><p> </p><p>"you ever heard of the phrase fatal flaw?" george asked. he took off his glasses. dream had never seen him do that before; it always stayed planted in his hair or over his eyes. and yet now he was fiddling with the temples of it. </p><p> </p><p>"i'd say that you have one, but honestly, i think it's easier to name all the flaws you <em>don't</em> have." he looked back to the lava. "which is, to say, very little. i knew everything would build up in the end - all your flaws and mistakes. it would bubble up and then..." george made an exploding gesture with his hand, and smiled sweetly like every word he said didn't feel like a blow to dream's chest.</p><p> </p><p>"why are you here?" dream asked, and george seemed surprised at the question. gingerly, dream stood up. his legs were shaky from days of sitting down, cross-legged, staring into the ground and wondering how it had come to this. "just to insult me? just to hurt me?"</p><p> </p><p>there was silence, with only the sound of lava bubbling. george tapped his foot against the ground, like he was figuring out what to say.</p><p> </p><p>"no, that's not what i came here for," he responded, placing his glasses back into his hair, "i wanted to see... for myself... how powerless you are. how far you've fallen." and despite his short stature, it felt like he was towering over dream. "and you sure have fallen a lot."</p><p> </p><p>dream took a sharp breath.</p><p> </p><p>"if you find that insulting, that's on you," george finished, voice as neutral as ever.</p><p> </p><p>oh, and dream knew. he knew that he could lunge at george, and he could kill him right now, take george apart like he'd always wanted to. no matter how weak he was from his time in the prison, dream had always been stronger than george. it would be easy - to wrap his hands around george's neck and <em>press...</em></p><p> </p><p>he wondered whether george was calm as cryptic as he always was when he was suffocating to death.</p><p> </p><p>"it's not over yet," dream murmured, fingers flexing. right, his chains. that would make things a little difficult, but he was sure he could pull it off. "i'm not done yet. i still have things to do. ranboo... tommy and tubbo..."</p><p> </p><p>"you never do give up, do you?" george said, passively, and the aching in dream's legs made him fall to his knees again. george yawned and tapped his foot against dream's chin. "hey, that was a compliment. well, typically, i think. don't know if your persistence is a good thing for you, if it's led you here."</p><p> </p><p>"you're not here to hurt me my ass," dream muttered, and george actually laughed. he'd never seen george so happy, and he wondered why he needed to be in pain for that to happen. why couldn't he see that smile, hear that laugh, when everything was okay? did george's happiness come at dream's expense? "when you're saying shit like that, it's hard to believe."</p><p> </p><p>"like i said, if you're being hurt by everything i say, that's a you problem," george snapped back, and it almost felt good to banter again. almost. </p><p> </p><p>more quiet. george continued to tap his foot against dream's chin, his chest, his knees, like he was trying to stomp all over dream and his ego. well, he'd succeeded, at least. dream felt tempted to ask why he was still here, but he stayed quiet and stared down at george's shoes.</p><p> </p><p>it wasn't over yet, but in case it was... dream needed to tell him. everything - all of this - it all traced back to this. and if dream had failed him - george seemed to think so - then he could at least do one last thing for him.</p><p> </p><p>"you wanna know why...?" dream said, and for the first time george looked interested, ceasing the tapping of his foot as he looked down at dream. "you wanna know why i did what i did? why i am the way i am?" he laughed humourlessly. "you wouldn't believe me if i told you."</p><p> </p><p>"i think i would believe anything at this point, if it meant getting an explanation," george said softly, voice gentler than dream had heard in a long, long while. </p><p> </p><p>dream looked down, raking his nails across the crying obsidian. purple glowed across the cracks ominously, and it cast a lilac light on his scarred, callused hands. "so the thing is," he started, before realising he was at a complete loss for words. he'd never even considered the thought of telling anyone about his life, and now that he had to, it was... confusing. unfamiliar.</p><p> </p><p>even after centuries dream guessed there were still things he had yet to experience. he was pretty sure he'd never truly loved before he met george, anyway, and he was yet to decide whether that was a blessing or a curse.</p><p> </p><p>"i'm immortal. in a way." he let george raise his eyebrows at this. "every time i... die, i guess... i'm reborn. into another world. but it's the same world. so i have to live through everything again. l'manberg... pogtopia... technoblade's betrayal... all of it. some things are different, but the end's always the same."</p><p> </p><p>george knelt down, looking lost. "oh," was all he said, his hands curling into fists into his lap. "and you've been with me before? this isn't the first time you've met me?" his voice was tentative, and when dream took his hand, george didn't pull away. it was warm, for the first time in forever, and dream almost cried feeling their fingers intertwined once more.</p><p> </p><p>"no. you're - this is the first time. this is the first life i've met you." he tucked his hair behind his ear. "like i said... no matter what's different, it always ends the same. blood. death. everyone just - unhappy. including me." dream sat back. "i want to change it. i want to give everyone the happy ending they deserve."</p><p> </p><p>"by manipulating them?" george asked loftily. "by torturing them? taking away what they love? controlling them like puppets?" he laughed and rubbed his face with the heel of his palms. "what have you become, dream?"</p><p> </p><p>"don't act like you know me," he snapped, "you don't know what i've been through. what i've had to witness. no one does."</p><p> </p><p>there was pity in george's eyes, and it made dream want to cry and scream and attack him all at once. "we'd know if you told us, dream," he said matter-of-factly, and dream just gritted his teeth and turned away.</p><p> </p><p>"i'm fine. with playing the villain to make everyone happy, in the end. i don't care what they think of me." dream really was crying now, tears pooling in his eyes. with difficulty, chains rattling, he rubbed them away with his fingers. "i'll get this happy ending."</p><p> </p><p>"oh, i get it now," george sighed, "you want this happy ending so bad... and you thought that if you were in control of everyone, you could make them happy, right? when you finally get to be god, everything will be okay? it doesn't work like that, dream. people can't be gods, dream. they can only play them, and masks only last so long."</p><p> </p><p>he smoothed his hand down dream's face, where his mask used to be. sam had taken it away when he'd shoved dream into jail, and it left dream feeling bare and naked. stripped raw, like he'd been left out in the sun for too long. a little ironic, since it had been days since he'd last seen any sunlight.</p><p> </p><p>"if i was -" his breath was a whisper, "- if they would all just listen to me then they would get the happiness they want. they all beg and claw for it but i know, george. i know that no matter how hard they try they won't get it. not unless they leave it all to me."</p><p> </p><p>"well... i suppose there's no reasoning with you at this point," george said tiredly, "it's a shame, really. i know you're a good person, dream, but it doesn't make your actions any less worse." dream drooped and murmured <em>i know.</em> "but at least i understand you a little better now... if that's worth anything at all now that you're stuck here."</p><p> </p><p>with a huff, dream sat up onto his knees. "i told you i'm not over yet. stop talking like i am." it struck dread and fear in his heart - how pathetic it would be to rot into nothing in the very prison he created. "you're acting like i'm the mystery man here, but even until now i never understood you. or anything you did, really. never made sense no matter how i spun it."</p><p> </p><p>"you <em>are</em> a mystery man, dream. that's what makes you so intimidating. if everyone knew what i knew, would they be half as afraid?" dream bit his lip. "i suppose you know that already. what with you... trying to conceal pretty much everything about yourself. i don't even know your birthday."</p><p> </p><p>his lips quirked up in a weak smile. "it's in august."</p><p> </p><p>"that's probably a lie." <em>it's not,</em> dream wanted to say, but he stayed quiet and let the smile linger on his face. "you never understood me? really? i don't know, dream. i'm kind of an open book here. i don't have a sad backstory, or some kind of cryptic immortality... damn, i almost feel embarrassed." he stood up and smiled, and it was the same smile dream had seen years ago when he'd first met him. everything was so different now, but maybe it was dream that had changed, not george. maybe george was still the same as he'd always been.</p><p> </p><p>"i do what i want, dream. there's all there is to it." he walked toward the lava, leaving dream crumpled on the floor. "you and your weird power-hungry motivations... when i feel like doing something, i do it. when i feel like not doing something, i don't do it. simple. maybe you should try it sometime."</p><p> </p><p>he turned to dream, the orange light basking his face, and dream wondered whether this would be the last time he'd ever see george like this. "that was all an excuse, you know. you don't really feel that way. you're not some kind of martyr, dream. and i know you don't really want that happy ending."</p><p> </p><p>dream wanted to speak, but his tongue felt like it was glued to the roof of his mouth, stuck staring at george as he stood in front of the rushing lava. </p><p> </p><p>"what do you want, dream?"</p><p> </p><p>"i..." the words caught in his throat. what <em>did </em>he want? power? godhood? control? a thousand answers flashed through his mind, but dream had a hunch that no matter how many of those things he had, it would never be enough. he was just like that. but there was one thing... one thing that was worth all of it combined.</p><p> </p><p>if only he had that.</p><p> </p><p>"i want <em>you,</em> george."</p><p> </p><p>"...you never stop lying, do you, dream?"</p><p> </p><p>george laughed, carefree, for the first time in years, and it rung in dream's ears and in his mind long after george was gone.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
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